back to article Oh, irony of ironies: Gov.UK's transparency report reveals... nothing

The British government has published a transparency report into the use of disruptive and investigatory powers by State actors, which ironically reveals absolutely nothing about the use of said powers. Introducing the 110-page report [PDF], the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, wrote that the government "is committed to increasing …

  1. staringatclouds

    No doubt written by the same person who lashed together the Brexit white paper

    1. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

      This is our post-expertise government...

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        This is our post-expertise government...

        That would imply that there was once an era of expertise in government. Would you care to enlighten me when that was?

        Seems to me they are universally incompetent.

        1. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

          Not that there were ever experts in government, but there used to be a time when government would listen to experts outside of government - people who actually know what they are talking about, rather than what we have now, which seems to be politicians who don't know what they are doing but rather than admit it, and defer to experts, prefer to vilify 'so called experts', and cover up their own incompetence.

          1. wikkity

            RE: would listen to experts outside of government

            Depends on what the subject matter was. They've never listened to experts about some subjects, e.g. drugs.

            Lately it's becoming across the board, but I think this is due to politicians trying too hard to appear vote-able, there is much more of a tendency nowadays for politicians to ignore what they actually believe in and go what they think Joe public thinks, and Joe Public does not believe expert opinions are based on fact and understanding.

          2. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            there used to be a time when government would listen to experts outside of government -

            I'm an old buzzard, and I can't recall that time. Transport policy, fiscal policy, energy policy, industrial policy, defence policy, foreign policy, migration policy, education policy, housing policy, health policy.....they've all been shit as long as I can remember.

            Many of the persistently poor choices of the past are only now coming home to roost (eg with the NHS or borrowing), and the idea that politicians in the past were competent and listened to expertise is nonsense. Think back to the bunglers of the past Ted Heath, Harold Wilson, Jim Callaghan, and before? Since then, I doubt from your previous posts that you've any time for Maggie. Blair and Brown launched the never ending wars in the Middle East on lies, created our idiot energy policy, bankrupted the state by reckless borrowing and letting the banks run out of control (not to mention screwing up higher education). Cameron is universally recognised as a toffee nosed arse wipe, May is an illiberal Victorian control freak.

            Who's left? John Major?

            1. Not That Andrew
              Windows

              IIRC John Major is the idiot who introduced PFI.

  2. Semtex451

    Sir Humphrey would be pleased

    1. Baldy50

      Nice!

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BG_GNHu_pg

      LOL.

  3. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

    "or the commercial interests of any person"

    Says it all.

  4. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

    Classic

    Sir Humphrey: How are things at the Campaign for the Freedom of Information, by the way?

    Sir Arnold: Sorry, I can't talk about that.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Black Helicopters

    MI5 application

    I'd be lying if I said I was lying about lying.

    (That should nail it).

  6. creepy gecko
    Black Helicopters

    Tin Hat Optional...

    We are surely at the stage where it is safe to assume the spooks are trying to monitor everything we do online.

    A piss-poor transparency report from Amber Rudd does nothing to alter that assumption.

    VPN services must be doing a roaring trade at the present time.

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: Tin Hat Optional...

      Only if you are a terrorist, they only monitor terrorists so if they are monitoring you you must be a terrorist.

      See also VPN users

  7. Oh Homer
    Big Brother

    Our transparency report is as follows...

    We hereby transparently report that it's against our interests to be transparent.

    Here's a picture of cheese instead.

    End of report.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Our transparency report is as follows...

      hard?

  8. RonWheeler

    As long as we

    don't define something as a problem, it isn't a problem. Pick your battles.

    My state colleagues earning £25 every day of the week driving between sites at 65p / mile aren't doing something wrong.

  9. Sgt_Oddball
    Black Helicopters

    how can.....

    I sign up for one of these jobs collating easily obtainable information and pretend it's something new?

    Also is anyone else wondering if Hanlons razor is too generous in its assumption?

    Hangon I hear choppers...

    1. RonWheeler

      Re: how can.....

      Become an auditor silly.

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